Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

Chapter 2174 - 1571: When the Stars Shine, the Shogunate Sells Official Titles!

The beginning of October, the fourth year of Myouei, Ezo land, northwest of Yangti Mountain, at the mouth of Korobetsu River.The mountain forest was initially silent; it was October in Ezo. The distant mountains stretched in from the southeast, cloaked in the golden and crimson of late autumn. Maple leaves rustled, pine forests were deep, Ezo deer stepped on branches, and moon bears roared leisurely. This was the demarcation between farming and fishing, and between the Ainu and the Japanese. As the forest crows flew over the small villages of the tribes in the mountains, over the treetops enveloped in morning mist, they encountered the kelp drying grounds along the coast and the small Ainu fishing boats.

"Shaa... shaa~"

"Hwa... hwa~"

"Woo... woo!..."

The wind blew over the coastal grasslands, and the waves slapped against the jagged rocks of the shore. The distant cries of whales sounded like the desolate echo between heaven and earth, from autumn to winter, from mountain to sea, and finally drifting to the moored large customs ship.

Prayer flags fluttered on the customs ship, and monk soldiers stood guard at the bow and stern, holding knives and bows. On the deck of the ship, a large white fabric from Omi had been laid out, with a delicate tea table set upon it, cushioned with two meditation mats. On the mats, two Japanese knelt facing each other, drinking tea.

One of them had a bald head, wore Buddha beads, and donned a large red monk robe. The other had short hair, wore a gold talisman, and was clad in a gray-white ritual robe. At this moment, the bald great monk was nodding his head, and the short-haired priest was smiling and nodding. The two exchanged words and laughter, creating an extremely harmonious atmosphere.

"...The mountain does not speak, yet myriad phenomena arise. The sea is silent, yet my heart is like a mirror. This empty scene of Ezo is truly unforgettable to me! Returning after several months, I only hear the Dharma sound flowing, directly entering my heart... Just as the ’Shurangama Sutra’ says, ’All transient dust phenomena, are originally of the Tathagata’s wondrous true nature’..."

"Excellent, excellent phrase! May the Chief Divine bless! Juehui Monk Master, you truly shine with Buddha’s light, nurturing Buddhist teachings within you. Every word and action exudes Zen interest and profound charm!"

"Haha! Mr. Jia Hong, the Buddha’s meaning is in the mountains and seas, where myriad phenomena rise and fall. Since you have great fate, able to practice in this empty place where the mountains and seas meet, it is far more serene than my time in Kyoto Temple. You must be advancing day by day, with no troubles invading, and without any deluded thoughts arising!"

"Ahaha! Juehui Monk Master, I dare not speak of practicing. Nowadays, I believe in the Gummy People’s Chief Divine, following the path of honoring achievements, thus bearing great achievements and proving great devotion, to directly attain the supreme wondrous truth. This faith of the Gummy People, however, cannot be realized in a single leap. One must climb up from the bottom of the cliff, step by step, to reach the top!"

Upon hearing this, the Great Monk Juehui’s expression changed slightly, showing thoughtful consideration. He gently set down the teacup in his hand, looked at the Sun Gold Amulet on the neck of Ryuzoji Temple Jia Hong, and asked with a faint smile.

"Oh? Mr. Jia Hong, this Golden Tribe’s belief, the Gummy People’s Chief Divine, is it truly the path of arduous climbing and honoring achievements?"

"Exactly! From a First Level village priest to a Fourth Level district Chief Priest, it is precisely a layered stone cliff. This upward climb requires the merit and dedication of spreading the teachings, it is only through accumulated achievements and contributions that one can ascend!"

"Haha! Accumulating merits and making contributions, such an engaged faith indeed has characteristics similar to the Confucianism of the Ming Dynasty across the great sea. Then, who is at the top of this stone cliff?"

"Hush! It must not be mentioned, must not be mentioned! At the top of this stone cliff, there is a true ’Wisdom and Clarity.’ Even if not a living ’Awakened One’ and ’Awakened Sentient Being,’ at the very least, it is a Great Arhat with opened ’Buddha Eye’... Upon my return from the Eastern Sea, the whole journey of thousands of miles, including everything in Japan, is within the prophecy of this ’Wisdom and Clarity’..."

Mentioning the "real and existent" Chief Divine Prophet, the face of Ryuzoji Temple Jia Hong showed genuine fear and apprehension, unwilling to even mention the name. He ceased speaking and, after a pause, took out the Book of Ama Colley he carried, unconsciously lowering his voice.

"May the Chief Divine bless! Juehui Monk Master, in truth, I find this faith path of the Gummy People deeply rooted in ancient style. Like dead wood stained with blood in the wilderness, too rigid, too simplistic and prone to break. Yet now, this dead wood blooms with new buds over thousands of miles, entirely due to this ’Wisdom and Clarity’ who has spent ten to twenty years establishing doctrines, prophecies, and spreading teachings! This Venerable, even if not the founder of Buddhism, Shakyamuni Buddha, is at least the progenitor of the Esoteric Buddhism in Tiantai, akin to a figure like Zuicheng Shangren! ... Although it’s hard to believe, he might truly be a reborn French King with innate wisdom..."

"Buddha! The leader of this Golden Tribe’s faith is indeed such a ’Wisdom and Clarity’? A Great Arhat with ’Buddha Eye’? Even a worldly French King with reborn innate wisdom?! In this Age of Dharma Decline, can there really still be a great enlightened one existing in the world?..."

Juehui Monk furrowed his brows, genuinely finding it hard to accept. However, observing the sincere reverence on Ryuzoji Temple Jia Hong’s face, he pondered for a long time before also extracting a well-worn Book of Ama Colley from his bosom, and said with a smile.

"For the past half a year, having nothing to do, I’ve often perused this East Sea Scripture. Originally, I thought this scripture was ’plain and easy,’ ’concise in meaning,’ ’without sufficient evidence in logical argument,’ perhaps there were many areas for improvement and supplementation. But looking at it now, it seems its ’subtle yet profound meanings,’ or perhaps my understanding was hindered by ’unclear translation,’ I have failed to grasp the true essence of the innate wisdom of the ’East Sea Great Arhat’..."

"Uh... Perhaps that’s possible. The Ancestor High Priest had a difficult journey west and brought only a few scriptures... The ’True Scripture’ circulated in the Eastern Sea may not be easy to come by, right?..."

Hearing the monk’s words, Ryuzoji Temple Jia Hong’s expression became ambiguous, with subtle changes on his face. He had read the Book of Ama Colley, which is a must-read for Kingdom Priests, many times. Yet the theories and logical arguments within the scripture, compared to the Buddhist scriptures he read before, were indeed quite different, simplified to the point of making him doubtful.